Tanked Turkey: Booze-Infused Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends; be grateful for all the blessings life has bestowed. And a little booze never hurt either. Maybe your family, like mine, doesn’t drink. Since bringing wine or a good bourbon to Thanksgiving dinner would be considered a party foul, you can always bring an alcohol-infused fowl instead.

Adjust the oven racks so the turkey will fit in the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Rinse the turkey inside and out under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.

Stuff the bird, if desired. If you are not making stuffing, insert in the body cavity something that will flavor the meat. Use all of some of the following: a halved lemon or orange, a stalk of celery, a few garlic cloves, a halved onion, a bay leaf.

Place the turkey in a roasting pan.

Melt the butter. Stir in one bottle of ale. Pour the butter-beer mixture over the turkey.

Cook an un-stuffed bird for about 15 minutes per pound, cook a stuffed bird for about 20 minutes per pound. A meat or instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should register at least 180 degrees F. If stuffed, the stuffing should register at least 160 degrees F.

Baste every 20 minutes or so with the beer-butter and pan juices that have accumulated in bottom of the roasting pan. About halfway through the cooking, pour the remaining bottle of beer over the turkey and continue basting.

Cover the breast and drumsticks with foil if they start browning too early.

Put turkey breast-down the night before with the diced vegetables, one bunch each of fresh herbs, cranberries and 4 oz of each flavored vodka. Refrigerate to marinate. On the morning of Thanksgiving, turn the turkey breast-up and cover with herbs and vegetables. Roast in oven at 375 degrees for three hours.

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As an award-winning travel writer, Rebecca believes that much of the joy of exploring new destinations comes from sampling the local food and beverages. Recently relocated from the East Coast to sunny Phoenix, she is now enjoying learning about her new home state. When not writing, she enjoys sleeping late, discovering great restaurants, and searching for the perfect margarita.

Rebecca’s work has been featured in numerous AAA publications, Destinations, Christian Science Monitor, Culture: The Word on Cheese, South Jersey, The Culture-ist, Societe Perrier, Sing Out!, and many others. Follow her at @rlrhoades